[Action 03] Quad--Early Morning

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, there might be other open areas in Fisherman's Horizon, but Toph likes the quad.

Right now, it's pretty early, and she's going through her bending forms. They look an awful lot like this (also known as Southern Praying Mantis Style, for those Earthly kung fu junkies), but without all the rocks flying everywhere.

Observe?]

Comments

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

You were there too, Sparky. I don't know how many times I left while you were arguing with someone.

[The rock spins as she sends it back to him.]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Okay this time he uses two hands to catch it. And throws it back, but not before he pauses at her words and frowns.]

You're wrong. I was never there.

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

Look, Sparky, I may be blind, but I'm not senile. That's Iroh. You joined up at the Air Temple. I still have a scar on my foot from when you accidentally burned me.

[It spins again, though this time she aims for his chest. Idiot.]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[About to open his mouth to argue with her because hey - she's right, he's always arguing - Zuko cuts himself short to stare at her. The rock hits his chest and drops to the ground, unnoticed.]

I did what?

[It doesn't matter if she said accidentally. The fact that he burned someone, hurting them, when they were supposed to be his friend... It's staggering news, it quite possibly floors him, the realization that he's no better than his own father.]

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

[Toph rolls her eyes and shows him her foot. It's not a big or even very noticeable scar, but there is a small scar on her foot, on the arch.]

You were trying to join up, remember? They sent you packing, I went to talk to you, you panicked, and then you burned my feet. Geez, did that time compression mess your brain up or something? I told a hundred times it was an accident and no big deal.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Numbly Zuko shakes his head, eyes rooted to her foot. Even if the scarring isn't big, he still did that to her.]

...I never met you before. Not until we were brought here...

[A thick swallow- she might be able to read his vitals and tell he's something (read: angry and disappointed with himself) just by the way his heartbeat's kicked it up a beat or two.]

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

[Toph frowns. Something's wrong. He's not lying, but Toph knows he has to be.]

Zuko, you're one of my best friends. Your uncle's the coolest old man ever.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

Wait- you've met my uncle? How? When?

The last time I-- [Again he shuts up. The catacombs... his betrayal. Immediately Zuko's closing up. As if scarring one of his own friends wasn't bad enough already, now he's remembering what he'd done to his uncle.]

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

Well, the first time was right before Azula got us all at that abandoned--Zuko, what's wrong?

[Toph turns her head]

Why don't you remember this stuff?

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Azula...]

No, I-- [Another shake of his head.] I don't know.

[She has no idea how badly he wants to just turn back around and leave the way he came.]

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

Don't you lie to me too, Sparky. Aang did that already and I really don't need more friends lying to me.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

I already told you I wasn't there!

[Emphasized words, a sudden outburst. This is really confusing; it must be a different timeline thing again.]

Augh-- you're from a different time than I am. I wasn't there. Another... me was.

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

So you're saying you--the Zuko I'm talking to now--left home before you could join up?

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

Look, Toph. It was a long time ago. I've been here for a year already. [Zuko gestures to whatever part of Garden behind him even though they're in the Quad.]

But back home, the last thing I remember doing was fighting Katara and the Avatar with Azula under Ba Sing Se, the old crystal catacombs.

[He'll leave out his betrayal to his uncle. For now. Zuko's not sure how much she knows if she's from a time far in the future.]

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

[Toph didn't say anything right away. So Zuko was from then. Toph knew he regretted all of that--she'd been there--but still. It was...weird.

She sighs and throws another, slightly larger rock at him]

This place is weirder than Ba Sing Se.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Zuko frowns then and knocks the rock away, saying nothing. Ignoring the dull throb where the rock had met with his palm.]

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

But hey, who cares? We're here now, we're not dead, and I get to harass Sokka to my heart's content. [She grins. C'mon, Sparky, take the hint and cheer up]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

...yeah. I guess.

[He half turns to head back.]

Sorry... I'm going to go back.

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

[There's a rock wall in front of him when he tries]

Oh no. Not you too.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[He almost smacks his nose against it, then whips around and scowls.]

What d'you mean 'not you too'? And drop the wall, Toph, I'm going back in.

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

Don't start sulking because of something stupid like this time compression, got it? There's only so many rocks I can throw at people's heads before they get a concussion.

[She's not answering the 'not you too' part, but she means Aang and his sulking. At least he seems to be sulking to her]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

I'm not sulking because of that. I've had a year to deal with it, I'm pretty sure I'm over it by now.

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

[She lets the wall fall and goes back to practicing]

If you say so. I try to get out here every morning, if you want to train sometime.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[It's really tempting to turn back around and take her up on the offer now. But the heavy weight of his thoughts and past betrayal to the one man who had done so much for him...

Zuko closes his eyes and ducks his head.]

...sure.

[And Zuko's then heading back to the entrance/exit, hands balled into fists at his sides.]